Half-Vampire The man’s breath came in ragged gasps as his struggles gradually eased. Then the boy set his victim down with surprising gentleness, and stood up, licking his fangs until they gleamed in the moonlight. He turned to leave. “You left him alive, kid.” The pale figure stepped out of his hiding spot. “Either you have great control or you’re just not that thirsty.” Startled, the boy whirled around and hissed, baring his teeth. “Who are you?” He demanded anxiously. Then his eyes took in the strange figure standing before him, and he amended his question. “What are you?” “Surely you know.” The figure chuckled. “As for who I am, you can call me MoonCat. And your name?” “You’re a vampire.” The boy said. “A full one.” MoonCat chuckled again. “Correct. And you’re Jan the vampire slayer. I should be scared of you, right?” He met the boy’s eyes. “But the only one you’ve ever ‘slain’ is yourself.” “How do you know that?” Jan exclaimed, panicking. “Does anyone else know?” “No, and if you help me, I won’t tell anyone.” MoonCat assured him. “Actually, I’m impressed with your ingenuity, dhampir. You have a foot in both worlds, and you’ve decided to turn that into an asset.” “I’m just trying to survive.” Jan said, casting a somewhat guilty glance at the man he’d just fed from. “What do you want, anyway?” “You’ve faked your own death so many times.” MoonCat replied. “I want you to fake mine.” “Fake your death? For who?” Jan asked. “I don’t think the villagers know you’re around.” “There’s a slayer after me.” MoonCat told him. “A real one, I mean, and very skilled. I’ve been lucky so far, but sooner or later, he’ll get me, unless you can convince him to stop trying.” A real slayer? Jan realized he was in danger. A slayer would probably not hesitate to kill him, just because he was part human. He should just leave town before this slayer got here, but MoonCat knew his secret. And if it got out that Jan the vampire slayer was a fake, and had actually done the attacks he claimed to be trying to protect people from, he wouldn’t just have to worry about the slayer. There were many people who’d want to kill him then. MoonCat watched as Jan doused his face in the river. “Isn’t that cold?” He asked the boy. “Yeah, but I feel too hot anyway.” Jan replied. He felt too hot because he’d gorged himself on blood, in preparation for going without for awhile. “And I’ve got to get this makeup off of me.” “You wear makeup?” MoonCat asked incredulously. “I have to keep them from recognizing me. Right now, I’m the vampire, and I’ve made myself look the part. When I go into town advertising my services as a slayer, I have to look totally human.” Jan explained, drying his face with his towel and rifling through his pack. “It’s not for vanity.” “How do you apply it?” MoonCat asked. “Do you appear in mirrors?” “Sort of.” Jan pulled out a small handheld mirror and held it up. MoonCat looked over his shoulder to see. The vampire wasn’t visible at all in the mirror, while Jan appeared as a transparent, ghostly figure, the trees visible through him. “You can’t go invisible, then.” MoonCat commented. “Look.” Power shimmered around him, making Jan tense up. The vampire faded out bit by bit, and at the same time, he appeared in the mirror. Then he reappeared and his reflection vanished. “Wow.” Jan said softly. “You’d probably look like a ghost, rather than actually being invisible. And it takes a lot of skill to do that.” MoonCat replied. “I was thinking of hiding from the slayer with that trick, so he’ll think you killed me.” “Yeah, that’ll work, as long as he doesn’t wave a mirror around.” Jan said dryly, well aware that if the slayer did wave a mirror around, he’d be in trouble too. “Would you be willing to teach me some tricks like that? I grew up among humans, I don’t know those vampire things.” “Sure, kid.” MoonCat grinned, and then glanced at the horizon. “But not now. It’s bedtime for me.” He got up and started walking away. “See you tomorrow.” Jan said. “I’ve got to finish getting ready.” The young man walked into the inn, looked around a bit, and headed straight to the bar. “Hello.” He greeted the bartender hesitantly. “Can I have a beer?” “Sure. That’ll be two coins.” The bartender replied, busying himself with the necessary preparations. “So, you new in town?” “Yes, actually.” The man accepted his beer gratefully. “I’m Kasan. Look, have there been any vampire attacks in this area lately? I’m tracking this one vampire, and I think he might have come this way.” “Yeah, four in the past couple of nights.” The bartender said. “And someone else has already come asking around, just like you. Is this one particularly bad?” “Another slayer?” Kasan asked. “He introduced himself as Jan.” The bartender told the slayer. “Have you heard that name before?” “Jan.” Kasan looked thoughtful. “Blond hair, wears sunglasses and a black coat, acts almost like a vampire himself?” “Hi, Kasan. Good to see my reputation’s spread around.” Jan commented from a couple of seats away. Both Kasan and the bartender jumped in surprise. “Wow, Jan! You’re so quiet, I forgot you were there!” The bartender exclaimed, as Kasan turned red with embarrassment. He got up abruptly and headed over to Jan, offering a hand for the boy to shake. “Sorry. I guess that was rude. I’m Kasan.” Kasan said. “Jan.” Jan answered, taking Kasan’s hand briefly. He met the slayer’s eyes, feeling scared as he realized this guy killed for a living. Then he nodded towards the empty seat beside him. “Sit down, I guess. It’s not that big a deal. I know what people think of me.” Kasan sat in the offered seat. “Yeah, well, I’m sorry anyway.” He swallowed a bit more of his drink and continued. “Look, since we’re both in town, why don’t we work together? I have reason to believe the vampire responsible for the recent attacks is the same one I’ve been chasing for the past few months.” “I’m used to working alone.” Jan replied softly. He didn’t want that slayer to figure out what he was, and wished he could just refuse Kasan’s offer and get out of town. But MoonCat knew what he was, and if he was going to fake the vampire’s death, he should pretend to work with Kasan. Vampires were really fast, and so was Jan, so he could probably stage a high-speed chase that left Kasan behind, setting up the faked staking by the time Kasan caught up. Especially since MoonCat could go invisible. “But I suppose I’m ready for a change.” He smiled a small smile, keeping his mouth closed so Kasan couldn’t see his teeth. “All right, then.” Kasan grinned and pulled out a cross, setting it on the table. Jan flinched. “Oh, are you OK?” “Yeah, just startled.” Jan shrugged. “I’m kind of jumpy sometimes.” “OK. Well, I was just thinking we could seal the deal by making an oath on this cross.” Kasan explained. Jan tensed up. This wasn’t going to be pleasant. But he could see a puzzled suspicion in Kasan’s eyes, and he knew there was no way to back out of this. Steeling himself, he touched the cross, stifling a gasp as it sent a jolt of fear and pain through him. Good thing it was a weak charm, and he was only half-vampire. “Now, repeat after me: I swear to aid my partner in bringing this foul beast to justice, to the best of my ability.” Kasan intoned. Jan echoed him. Of course, he had no intention of following this oath. Kasan assumed that as a slayer, Jan would feel bound by his oath, but he was wrong. “All right, it’s done.” Kasan declared, and they both pulled their hands away from the cross. Kasan took another sip of his beer as Jan surreptitiously rubbed his fingers, which stung from touching the cross. Just then, a middle-aged man hurried over. “Oh, are you two slayers?” He gestured at the cross. “Yes, we’re slayers.” Kasan confirmed. “Do you need our help?” “I want you to avenge my Susan. I’ll pay you well.” He said, looking desperate, grieved and angry. “Last night, a vampire killed her, just left her lying out in the street like garbage. My beautiful wife! We’ve been together for fifty years, and now she’s gone!” His face hardened as he thought about it. “I’m sorry for your loss.” Kasan said in a sympathetic tone. Jan didn’t say anything. He’d fed on a woman the night before. He’d left her alive, but she could have died before she was found. Was he responsible for this man’s grief? He thought of the earring he took from that lady. “Was anything taken?” He asked. “Vampires often steal from their victims.” “Yes, her locket.” The man shook his head. Jan let out the breath he’d been holding. He wasn’t the one who’d killed Susan. “Did he kill her for the locket? She could’ve just handed it over.” “No, good man.” Kasan said. “He wanted her blood, I’m sure. The locket is just a token to remember her by. They’re like that, they like to keep reminders.” The man nodded. “Do you two have a place to stay? I’d be willing to put you up at my house. I – ” He shook his head sadly. “I don’t know what to do without her. I just can’t bear to think that I’ll never see her again.” “Thanks for the offer.” Kasan looked at Jan questioningly. “We’ll be glad to accept.” Jan said. “One moment, please?” He got up and headed to cancel his room at the inn. When he returned, Kasan was asking the man if they could look at Susan’s body, to confirm that it was, indeed, a vampire that had killed her. “Sure, if you think that’ll help.” Susan’s husband said.
Copyright © 2010 Ettina Satot |